Confinement houses for livestock or poultry generally include a feeding system with a feed transfer unit, a manure removing system with a conveyor unit, and a ventilating system with exhaust and fresh air fan or louver units. Each of these units usually has a separate associated electrical drive motor and control therefor to provide for their independent operation in response to a predetermined demand requirement. The number of units to be operated varies with the size of the confinement house some of which require twenty or more electrical drive motors. The initial installation of the electrical equipment is expensive due to the multiple electric motors, some of which embody speed reduction mechanisms. Additionally, the operating cost of the motors is not only expensive, but the circuitry involved is subject to electrical shorts and sparking so as to create hazards of fire and injury. Also, due to the tendency of an electric motor to immediately pick up a load, the service life of a conveying or transfer unit driven thereby is appreciably reduced because of shock starts.
The objections and disadvantages of these electrical drive systems are substantially eliminated by the present invention.